Enrollment
341
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Indianola, MS
Robert L Merritt Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Robert L Merritt Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 280018701421
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert L Merritt Junior High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of Mississippi schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Indianola · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert L Merritt Junior High School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert L Merritt Junior High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Indianola, MS.
School address
District: Sunflower Cty Cons School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280018701421 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert L Merritt Junior High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert L Merritt Junior High School
Robert L Merritt Junior High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Indianola, Mississippi, enrolling 341 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 341 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Among 302 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #273, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 249 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 341 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Sunflower Cty Cons School District also operates Gentry High School (465 students) and Lockard Elementary School (393 students) alongside Robert L Merritt Junior High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Robert L Merritt Junior High School compares
Robert L Merritt Junior High School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 341 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
341
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 17% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
44.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,004
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 247 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 73.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 91.2%
Two or More 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%
White 1.2%
Largest group: African American at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.5, Robert L Merritt Junior High School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunflower Cty Cons School District, which includes Robert L Merritt Junior High School.
$13,004
Per student
+8%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 40.8%
Federal 29.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Robert L Merritt Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gentry High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lockard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ruleville Central Elem School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carver Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert L Merritt Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~341 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert L Merritt Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Robert L Merritt Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Sunflower Cty Cons School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Robert L Merritt Junior High School
How many students attend Robert L Merritt Junior High School?
Robert L Merritt Junior High School has 341 students enrolled. It is a public school in Indianola, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert L Merritt Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert L Merritt Junior High School is 11:1, which is 17% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 30% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert L Merritt Junior High School?
100.0% of students at Robert L Merritt Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert L Merritt Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Robert L Merritt Junior High School is African American at 91.2% of enrollment, in Indianola, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert L Merritt Junior High School?
Robert L Merritt Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Robert L Merritt Junior High School rank among public schools in Indianola?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert L Merritt Junior High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Indianola, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Indianola on the city page.
Is Robert L Merritt Junior High School a good school?
Robert L Merritt Junior High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of Mississippi schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Sunflower Cty Cons School District?
Besides Robert L Merritt Junior High School, Sunflower Cty Cons School District also operates Gentry High School (465 students), Lockard Elementary School (393 students), and Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School (331 students). See the Sunflower Cty Cons School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.